Button holding presser-foot



June 28,1960 R. E. JOHNSON BUTTON HOLDING PRESSER-FOOT Filed May 3, 1957IN VEN TOR. Ralph E. Johnson A T TORNE Y United States Patent 2,942,565f Patented June 28,1969

2 Claims. (Cl. 11%235) This invention relates to sewing machines andmore particularly to a presser-foot for use with zigzag sewing machinesadapting the machine for sewing on buttons, and the present inventionhas as its primary object to provide an improved device of thischaracter.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved button sewingfoot by the use of which different lengths of thread-type button shankscan easily be obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved buttonsewing foot that can be used to sew on buttons in a manner to providethem with or without thread-type button shanks.

Having in mind the above and other objects that will be evident from anunderstanding of this disclosure, the invention comprises the devices,combinations and arrangements of parts as illustrated in the presentlypreferred embodiment of the invention which is hereinafter set forth insuch detail as to enable those skilled in the art readily to understandthe function, operation, construction and advantages of it when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational side view, partly in section, of a portion of azigzag sewing machine equipped with a button holding resser-footembodying the present invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the in Figs. 1 through 3,

Fig. 5 illustrates a thread-type shank button which has been sewed on bya machine equipped with the presserfoot shown in Figs. 1 through 4, and

Fig. 6 illustrates a shankless button, which has also been sewed on bythe use of the same presser-foot.

.The zigzag sewing machine, indicating generally in the drawings bynumeral 14, is provided with a horizontal work support 16. A slantswinging needle-bar 17 carries a conventional eye-pointed needle 18, anda slant presserbar 19 is equipped with a conventional screw 21, whichclamps to the lower end of the presser-bar 19 the shank 22 of aresser-device or -foot 23 embodying the present invention.

Preferably the presser-foot 23 is formed from'a single piece of rigidmaterial and the shank 22 thereof, which is conventional, has an openended slot 24 adapted to receive the stem of the screw 21. An arm 26,which is wider at the bottom than at the top, depends from the shank 22.The lower end portion 27 of the arm 26 joins, at an approximately ninetydegree (90) bend 28, the

resser-foot shown rear portion of the sole-plate 29. The lower portion27 a of the arm 26 and the rear portion 30 of the sole-plate 29 areapertured as at 31, the aperture or hole- 31 extending in the form of anL from the arm 26, through the bend 28 and into the sole-plate 29. Theupper surface of the "thicker, as indicated at 39,

sole-plate 29 has a semi-circular groove 32 registering with thatportion of the aperture 31 which is in the soleplate 29, and the groove32 extends from the aperture 31 -to' the front edge of the sole-plate29. Reference to Fig. 4 shows that the aperture 31 and the groove 32 arelocated slightly to the left of the center of the sole-plate 29. Thefront portion of the'sole-plate 29 is formed with two spaced projectionsor toes 36 and 37, forming therebetween an open-sided slot 38. The frontportion of the sole-plate 29 as well as the toes 36 and 37,are slightlythan is the rear portion of the sole-plate 29. Reference to Fig. 4 alsoshows that the front end of the groove 32 enters the slot 38 at alocation slightly to the left of the center thereof and therefore'slightly-to the left ofthe center between the two' toes 36 and 37. i

The subject presser-foot is used in the following manner. If it isdesired to sew a button 41 to the work piece 42 by means of athread-type shank, the button 41 is placed at the proper location on thework piece 42 and thereafter under the sole-plate 29 so that the holes46--47 of the button 41 are within the open-sided slot 38, as shown inFig. 3. Regardless of the spacing between the holes of the button, it ispreferable to position the left hole 46 of the button 41 in the left endof the slot 38.

In other words the left hole 46 is placed adjacent to the toe 36. Thenthe 'presser-foot 23 is lowered on the button 41, thereby holding it inplace. Thereafter a sewing machine needle or other suitable shank-lengthmember 48 is placed in the grove 32, in such'a position as to extendthrough the aperture 31. This causes the needle 48 to lie substantiallyperpendicular to the thread-type shank to be formed. Next one side ofthe swing of the zigzag needle 18 of the sewing machine 14 is alignedwith the left hole 46 and the swing of the needle 18 adjusted to enterthe hole 47 when the said needle 18 has swung to the other extremity ofits movement. Then the sewing machine 14 is started. First the needle 18enters hole 46 after which it rises and swings to the right over thehorizontal needle 48 and enters the hole 47. This forms a loop of threadover the needle 48. Thereafter, the needle 18 rises from the. hole 47and swings over the needle 48 in the opposite direction to the firstswing and then enters the hole 46. These stitch forming operations arerepeated until the proper number of loops of thread are formed over theneedle 48. Finally the stitches are tied 01f by causing the needle 18 toenter and leave the left hole 46 several times in succession. 'When thishas been completed, the needle 48 is withdrawn from the groove 32 andthe aperture 31. Thereafter the presserfoot 23- is raised and sewingthreads are cut and the button 41 released. Because of the threads whichwere looped over the needle 48, the button will be loosely held to thework piece 42. The shank threads 49 are then bound or wrapped in themanner indicated at 5-1 of Fig. 5.

The drawings used to illustrate the invention show the blade 52 of theneedle 48 positioned in the groove 32. If desired, the shank 53 of theneedle 48 can be positioned in the groove 32. In the former case arelatively short button shank will result, whereas in the latter case arelatively long button shank will be obtained. It even a longer buttonshank is desired a larger diameter shank-length member '48 can be placedin the groove 32.

If it is desirable to sew a button 41' (Fig. 6) to a work piece 42'without leaving a shank, the above procedure is followed except that aneedle 48 is not placed in the groove 32. A non-shank buttonis-illustrated in Fig. 6.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I adapted to besecured to said presser-bar, an afrh depending from said shank, a solidone-piece sole-plate connected to the lower end of said arm, and saidsole-plate at the location where the sole-plate is connected to said armbeing provided with an aperture, said sole-plate also having a longnarrow shallow groove in the upper face thereof and a pair of spacedtoes formed integral with and on the front of said sole-plate, said toesdefining therebetween an open-sided slot, the said long narrow grooveextending from said aperture to said open-ended slot and said slot beingwider than said groove.

2. A resser-device for sewing machines having a resser-bar, saidpresser-device comprising a shank adapted to be secured to saidresser-bar; an arm depending from said shank, and the extreme lower endof said arm being provided with an aperture; a solid one-piece soleplateconnected at an angle of approximately ninety degrees (90) to the lowerend of said arm, and said sole-plate at a location adjacent to said armbeing pro vided with an aperture which joins with the aperture in saidarm to form an L-shaped aperture extending from aid, arm n o sa ol -p e,s l -pl e al ha n a long narrow shallow groove in the upper facethereof, spaced toes formed on the front free end of said soleplate,said toes defining therebetween an open-sided slot, said slot beingwider than said groove and the said long narrow groove being located tothe left side of the center of said presser-device and extending fromsaid aperture to said openended slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNRTED STATES PATENTS1,211,340 Page Jan. 2, 1917 1,359,858 Barron Nov. 23, 1920 2,331,170Brussell Oct. 5, 1943 2,735,387 Baehr Feb. 21, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS758,981 Germany Jan. 5, 1953

